The Family Michaelis
by ElegantButler
Summary: The sequel to "The Maid's Child".   Chase and Desdenova Michaelis are happily married, until fate causes Chase's ship to be lost at sea. Meanwhile, a tragedy shatters Sebastian's world.
1. Chapter 1

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 01-

Desdenova Michaelis was planting a rosebush beneath the window of the music room of the home where he lived with his husband, Chase when Chase walked through the gates of their yard.

It was a small house, but they were just getting started in life and had insisted upon not depending on their families for money.

Chase had been away from home for a couple of months earning money with a shipping company that he had signed up with following his and Desdenova's honeymoon. Desdenova wasn't happy with this, as it meant he and Chase would be spending so much time apart. But not many jobs were available on land, and most of the townsfolk knew that he was half-demon, so they did not wish to hire him.

"You really ought to have a gardener plant that," Chase said, smiling at his husband. "Not to mention that's still very early in the springtime."

Desdenova stood and embraced his husband. "We can't afford a gardener," he reminded him. "And anyhow, this is a special rosebush. I'm planting it today so that when our baby is born in autumn, the flowers will be at full bloom."

"Our baby?"

"I found out just last week. I thought of sending you a message, but I decided this is news that would be best delivered in person."

Chase looked at the rosebush as he mouthed the words "our baby".

"Are you okay?"

"Do our families know yet?"

Desdenova shook his head. "I wanted you to be the first to find out," he told his husband.

"Are you sure?" Chase asked.

Desdenova nodded. "Remember, I'm a Shinigami. I can sense it, just as my mother Grell could sense me."

"How far along do you think you are?" the half-demon wanted to know.

"It was our wedding night," Desdenova smiled.

"When do you want to tell our families?"

"I was planning on having a party to celebrate your return this weekend," Desdenova told his husband. "We'll make the announcement then."

"This home is rather small for a party." Chase pointed out.

"True," Desdenova admitted. "That is why mother is commandeering the Shinigami Library for the event."

"William is going to love that." Chase shook his head.

"William isn't going to know until the guests start arriving." Desdenova grinned, mischievously.

"And you're sure your mom won't get into trouble?"

"No more than he usually does," Desdenova shrugged.

"Where will the baby sleep?"

"I'm converting the music room into a nursery," Desdenova explained. "I haven't bought the furniture for it yet. I didn't want someone seeing me with a cradle before I made the big announcement."

"Makes sense," Chase admitted, as he drew Desdenova close and placed a kiss upon his lips.

"Sinners!" one of their neighbors called out to them.

Chase took his coat off and flashed her his long tail. "I'm half-demon," he called back with a wicked smile, "What's your excuse?"

The woman crossed herself and hurried back into her house. Chase smiled and followed her.

"Begone, demon!" she demanded.

"I'll say this one time," Chase told her, in a tone that put her in mind of her childhood visits to her school's headmistress. "Leave me and my family alone. Unless you wish to pay us a kindness. I have no intention of being enemies with you or anyone else in this neighborhood. Am I understood?"

"Yes," the woman nodded. "You are quite polite for a half-demon."

Chase smiled. "I know a pure demon who is even politer."


	2. Chapter 2

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 02-

William Spears was going over the paperwork for the previous week's intake when the quiet of his office was shattered by the sudden sound of loud music. Slamming his pen down on the desk, he stormed over to the door, preparing to demand that Grell or Ronald stop fooling around and get back to work. When he threw the door open, however, the shout died in his throat.

Grell and Grim were dancing together over to the side of the room, while Ronald stood on one of the desks playing a loud guitar and singing at the top of his lungs about love, death, and everything else that made a Shinigami's life worth living.

Sitting on the edge of a desk near the one Ronald was performing on were Grell's son Desdenova and his husband, Chase, the son of the demon butler, Sebastian Michaelis. The two were holding hands and seemed to be holding back a secret they were just bursting to tell.

Sebastian himself, and his mortal wife, Mei-Rin, were standing nearby both shaking their heads in amusement at the spectacle their son and the Shinigami side of the family were making.

"May I have your attention, please," Chase said, after Ronald's song came to an end. "I just wanted to say 'Thank you', first off, to my mother-in-law Grell for throwing this rather unexpected," at this word he winked at Grell before continuing, "party for me and my husband to celebrate my return to England after such a long time at sea."

There was a round of applause from everyone, except for William who was glaring at Grell.

"Just as I thought," he muttered crossly to himself.

"I also wanted to ask you all to please look after my husband while I am away next time. He's going to need a lot of extra care, especially from his family. Des', perhaps you'd like to tell them why."

"No, go ahead," Desdenova called out to him. "You're doing fine."

William had made his way over to Grell and Grim while their son was talking. Now he leaned over and whispered in Grell's ear. "If he's pregnant, you're fired."

"If he's pregnant," Grell whispered back, "I quit. He'll need me to look after him while his beloved husband is out of port."

Chase cleared his throat, then resumed. "The reason I am asking you all to take good care of my dear Des' while I am gone is because he and I are going to have a baby."

"Yes!" Grell cheered. "Aw, now, don't be so grumpy, William. You'll have a family one day."

"My responsibility is to the Shinigami Dispatch," William said, firmly. "I have no intention of taking a wife or a husband. And I'm certainly not going to do any breeding."

"Just as well," Ronald said, from nearby, "we certainly don't need anyone else like you in the Shinigami gene pool."

"Until Grell started up, there was no Shinigami gene pool," William pointed out.

"Then let's diversify it," Ronald suggested, giving William a quick and unexpected kiss.

William pushed him off and stormed back into his office.

Grell smiled, and nodded his approval at Ronald. "I've taught you well," he said. "Now excuse me for a moment. I need to go speak to my son."

Ronald nodded. He went to William's office door and began knocking on it. When that failed, he drew a simple sketch of himself and William kissing and held it up to the door's window.

William shook his head at it, and tried to fall asleep at his desk, hoping that when he opened his eyes, the whole afternoon would turn out to be a dream.


	3. Chapter 3

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 03-

Desdenova studied the different cribs that were available for sale. While he was busy doing this, Chase examined the mobiles that hung from the ceiling nearby. Most of them featured birds and stars and other similar things. There was one that had boats and carriages which brought something to mind that Chase had been putting off.

"I have to leave tomorrow," he said. "It's only for a couple of weeks."

"Chase…" Desdenova began, unhappily.

"I know, Des'," Chase apologized. "I wish things were different. But we promised ourselves that we would not depend on our families. And this is the only way I can earn enough money to support us and the baby."

"A couple of weeks?" Desdenova asked, reluctantly.

"No more, I promise," Chase assured him.

"Bring me home a souvenir," Desdenova requested.

"I'll bring you exotic flowers," Chase vowed as he smiled at his husband.

"I can't wait to see them," Desdenova enthused, weakly, trying to return the smile.

"Perhaps we shouldn't think about sad things right now," Chase suggested. "This is a time for joy, not sorrow. We have our baby to think about."

Desdenova nodded. "I like this crib the best," he said, selecting one made of dark wood.

The salesman nearby frowned at this. He hadn't expected to sell that particular crib at all. In fact, he had made several attempts to avoid acquiring it. It was too dark, and the raven-carvings on the tops of the head posts made him shudder. Unfortunately, he'd had an obligation to the man and could not get out of it. He had planned to display it for the required two months, then take it somewhere and sell it for firewood.

Now, just shy of those two weeks, he had a customer who actually wanted to buy the thing.

"Sirs," the salesman frowned, "surely you don't want that old crib. The wood coloring is much too dark for a baby. Wouldn't you rather have this one? It's almost as pale as birch."

"The darker one suits us better," Chase explained.

"But your wife…" the man began, quite understandably.

"I agree with my husband," Desdenova told him.

"This must be a joke," the salesman shook his head. "You're here from some other furniture company, right? Trying to get a good laugh at my expense?"

"No joke," Desdenova told him. "I've been listening to the women in town and they say that this is the best place for baby furniture."

"Well, yes it is," the salesman agreed. "But there is no way a man can get another man pregnant."

Chase, who had taken his coat off and folded it over one arm, joined his husband, curling his tail around Desdenova's abdomen. "That's true enough for mortals," he admitted. "But for a demon and his Shinigami husband… well, obviously that's a different story."

"God help me," the salesman prayed, fearfully.

"That's a bit over the top, don't you think?" Desdenova asked, quirking an eyebrow. "After all, we're just here to buy furniture."

"But…"

"Don't worry," Chase assured him. "We're buying a few items for a baby. We didn't come to bargain for your soul."

"Jus… just furniture?"

"Yes," Desdenova promised. "Just furniture. No soul collection. That will come in time. But not by me, and not today."

"Well then," the salesman said, trying to assume a cheerful tone, "is there anything else I can offer you gentlemen?"


	4. Chapter 4

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 04-

"Must you leave so early?" Desdenova asked Chase as he stood over the little stove in the home they shared. "I have breakfast almost ready."

"I know, my love. And I'm sorry. But my ship leaves on the hour, and that leaves me only fifteen minutes to get to the docks." Chase gave Desdenova a swift kiss, then headed for the door.

"But surely as a half-demon you're fast enough to run the distance in ten!"

"If I wished to be rude and knock over every person on the sidewalks, I probably could," Chase agreed. "But I'm afraid I've inherited the butler aesthetic from my father."

Desdenova smiled, sadly, at this, and gave Chase a kiss in return. "Don't forget my flowers."

"I won't," Chase promised, as he closed the door behind him.

Desdenova wanted to follow him, to wave him off at the docks. But he knew that he could not. Very few people knew of Chase's marriage to him, and none of them worked for the company that Chase worked for. If they ever found out that Chase had a husband, there was a good chance that Chase could lose his job. That was something that the new parents-to-be simply could not afford.

During the ride to the docks, Chase thought about the man he loved, and how sad he had seemed at Chase's departure. He hated to leave Desdenova behind. He knew he had a job to do, and that they needed the money. Especially now that there was a baby on the way. He wondered how much the rosebushes would grow while he was away. That brought to mind the promise of flowers. He would keep that promise. And they would be flowers such as Desdenova had never seen. Not simple daisies, but something more exotic.

Chase boarded the ship, making sure his demonic traits were carefully hidden beneath his mariner's coat.

"You really ought to consider growing a beard," one of his shipmates told him as they began to bring the crates down to the holding deck. "You don't really look like a proper sailor without one."

"Beards are for captains," Chase told him setting the box he was carrying on the proper shelf. "Besides, my father would hate it. Butler, you know. Can't stand them. He thinks they look unseemly."

"You know, I could never figure out why you came to work for this company when your father must work for someone very wealthy if he's a butler."

"I promised myself that I would never burden my father," Chase explained.

"He must be very proud of you."

"I'd like to think so," Chase smiled. "I'd like to think my whole family is proud."

"How many in your family?"

"I have two sisters, Bast and Felinity."

"Interesting names," his shipmate remarked.

"You know," Chase replied, "it occurs to me that you've still not given me yours."

"That would make us even, I suppose," the other man pointed out. "But since you asked, the name's Efrain Atwater, a right good name for someone in our line of work."

"Indeed it is," Chase agreed. "Mine's Chase Michaelis."

"Pleased to meet you, Chase," Efrain reached out a hand, but was forced to withdraw it to grab onto the shelf and steady himself. "Feels like we're on our way."

"Well, it's back to the open sea again. We'd better get on with stocking the crates before the others come down and give us hell."

They finished organizing the crates. This took a few hours since the contents had to be listed in the ship's registers and the ship's constant swaying made it tricky for them to carry the heaven containers.

By the time they finished, they heard shouts from above them. Chase went to see what the commotion was.

"Storm out of nowhere," the helmsman told him.

"Surely there is land nearby," Chase pointed out.

"There is," the helmsman agreed. "But unfortunately the rocks near the shorelines make it too risky for use to attempt a beaching. She's a good ship. She'll hold. Just stay below until it passes over. No sense in catching cold. The captain's in a right foul mood this journey. He'd probably dock your pay if you caught something and then passed it on to the rest of us."

Chase gave a curt nod, and returned to the cargo hold.

"Bad storm," he told Efrain.

"You think we'll survive it?"

"Hard to say," Chase admitted. "But with a bit of luck, we just might."


	5. Chapter 5

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 05-

"Grell!" William shouted to the redhead, "You're on assignment."

"What's the location,"

"Off shore," William told him. "Several miles out. Here's the paperwork."

Grell took the paperwork and stared at it. The list was a copy of the manifest of the ship that Chase had sailed on that very morning.

"This is my son-in-law's vessel," he said, evenly. "There's no way…"

"You will go," William told him. "Or perhaps you'd prefer I sent another in your place?"

Grell snatched the paper up from the desk and crumpled it into a ball before stuffing it into his pocket and stomping out the door with a determined and angry look on his face.

"No survivors!" William called out after him.

Grell raced as fast as he could, not to the vessel he had been sent to harvest, but toward the place where he knew Sebastian would be. His flight took him into the center of the town square where people were milling about, somehow oblivious of his presence.

"Sebastian! Sebastian!" He called out for the demon. He wove expertly through the crow until he caught up with the demon butler. "You must come with me at once."

"I don't have time for games, Grell," Sebastian warned.

"No game," Grell said, looking around to make sure he wasn't being watched. "This is the list of those I have been dispatched to collect today."

"Looks like a long list," Sebastian began, offhandedly. "Perhaps you should hurry, then, and…" he froze and did a double-take. "This is…"

"The manifest for the vessel your son sailed on this morning," Grell confirmed. "And I was told that there were to be no survivors."

"You would kill my son," Sebastian snarled.

"If I intended to kill Chase, would I be here talking to you?" Grell asked. "I have a few other locations I need to stop by as well. I'll take them out of order. William will probably be very angry, but it will give you time to work out a way to save your son."

"Thank you," Sebastian said, gratefully. "I appreciate this. What about Desdenova? Does he know?"

"I couldn't risk telling him. If William finds out before you reach your son, I'm afraid he might decide to take matters into his own hands." Grell looked sad for a moment. "I'm afraid that, even if we manage to save your son's life, they may never see each other again."

Sebastian understood, and did not like what he was hearing. "They have a baby on the way, Grell. Have you forgotten that?"

"That's why this hurts me so much," Grell wailed. "Go quickly! But be warned, if your son is found on these shores, William will send the others to hunt him down. And there are still a few who follow his orders implicitly."

Sebastian didn't bother with a second thank you. Instead, he nodded his appreciation and sped off as fast as he could.


	6. Chapter 6

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 06-

Even one with the speed and agility of a demon cannot hope to outrace the pace of a storm. And Sebastian Michaelis, demon butler to the Phantomhive family, was no exception to this rule. As ran along the top of the water, following the path Chase's ship had taken, he kept his senses alert for the presence of other reapers, concerned that William Spears might have sent one out in Grell's place if Grell did not produce results for him soon.

He was not at peace with what he knew he must do. But there was no way around it. Grell was right. If Chase was found alive too soon, that life would be taken from him. Most likely it would be William Spears himself who performed the execution.

Rain fell down in sheets so plentiful they threatened to double the depths of the ocean as Chase's ship, the StarCat, was rocked to and fro by wind and water. Several crewmen, including Chase and Efrain, rushed to take down the sails before the wind could catch in them and either shred them or capsize the vessel, while a couple of others helped the helmsman to steer, adding their much needed muscle power to his own.

The captain glared at the helmsman and his aides.

"What are you doing? If you veer off course, you're going to delay us! We have cargo that cannot be late" He turned to the men at the sails. "Get those sails back up! We cannot dally!"

"Our cargo will not arrive at all if we are destroyed by this storm," the helmsman warned. "We dare not take the direct route."

"Psh," the captain scoffed, "a little wind. The StarCat can take it. Return to our original course."

"Captain, this is only the edge of the storm. She'll get worse before the gets better. In my opinion."

"As I am your captain, mine is the only opinion that counts aboard this ship." the captain raged as fiercely as the storm. "Now attend to your duty."

"With all respect, sir," the ship's doctor said, as he finished examining a mariner who had been knocked unconscious. "It is my opinion that your present state of mind makes you unfit for duty as captain. I suggest you retire to your cabin for a few hours where you will be safe while the rest of us make certain that both you and this cargo make it to our port of destination."

"This is mutiny," the captain accused. "I am your captain and I say that we must go into the storm. I will not be delayed by any wind whether it comes from the mouth of a sailor or the mouth of God!"

"Storms harbor demons," one of the crew warned. "We dare not enter."

~This ship harbors a half-demon,~ Chase thought to himself.

A darkness blacker than the storm covered the StarCat, the water itself seeming to speed the vessel along at incredible speed as it took wind, suddenly, impossibly as there were no sails up. It followed the course of the storm all the same.

It took the crew several minutes for their eyes to adjust to the lack of light. When they finally did, all save for Chase trembled with fear. A demon had alit upon the mainsail, its wings stretched out to catch the wind.

"It's going to kill us all!" the crewman who had spoken moments before wailed.

"Not if we kill it first," the captain declared. "We must not…"

"You will do no such thing!" Chase declared, throwing off his coat and putting himself between the crew and his father.

"You!" the captain exclaimed, his voice hoarse with terror.

"I will not permit you to harm my father," Chase warned.

"You told me your father was a butler," the captain snarled. "You lied."

"Did I?" Chase asked. "Look more closely."

The captain did so, and was amazed to see that the demon, with the exception of its long tail, black raven's wings, and gleaming pink-red eye, did have the appearance of a butler. He was well-dressed. Even his stature had a quality of elegant servitude about it.

The ship was swallowed by a thick dark storm cloud. In that moment, Sebastian leapt down from the mainsail and folded his wings around Chase. His son grabbed Efrain out of friendship and the captain out of habit and drew them into the protection of Sebastian's wings as a loud sound drove terror into the hearts of the unprotected.

Screams came, and were cut short as both the StarCat and most of its crew were taken down by the chainsaw as the vessel passed through the dense blackness. Even the intensity of the storm could not entirely drown out the sounds of the tragedy hidden within.

In time, both Grell and Sebastian departed, saying not a word to the three survivors they had left adrift on the small scrap of wood that was the last remnant of the StarCat.

The rain continued to pummel down upon the tiny remains of the ship as it drifted along in the wake of the storm, its three occupants too shaken to argue for the moment about Chase's demonic heritage.


	7. Chapter 7

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 07-

Efrain was the first to spot land a few hours later. By then, the three survivors of the StarCat were soaked, frozen, and exhausted. He looked over at the captain, who could barely stay awake at this point and who was cursing himself under his breath.

Even Chase, with his demonic constitution, was on his last legs. He wondered why his father had left him adrift. Why not rescue them? It had been in Sebastian's power to do so. Maybe doing so hadn't been safe. Had the Shinigami wanted him dead? That certainly seemed to be the case. There was no point in worrying about it now. And no time for that, either.

"My fault," the captain muttered. "Should've listened to my crew."

"That's not important now," Chase told him. "All that matters now is our survival. We must trust each other if we are to survive."

"Why should I trust the spawn of a demon? Particularly the one who destroyed my ship?"

"My father didn't destroy your ship. That was a Shinigami." Chase didn't bother to add that this Shinigami was actually his father-in-law.

"A death god…" the captain whispered.

"Heaven preserve us," Efrain whispered.

"There are angels in Heaven far more violent than demons or death gods," Chase told them. "Don't concern yourself with that for the moment, however. Right now, as I said before, the important thing is our survival."

"Can those wings of yours fly us back home?" the captain asked.

"They can, but I don't recommend we go there at this time," Chase replied. "My father must've had a good reason not to take us there."

"Like what?" Efrain inquired.

"I don't think the leader of the Shinigami wanted any survivors from the StarCat," Chase explained. "And until he is defeated somehow, it will not be safe for us to return to England."

"So in other words, we could be here for the rest of our lives?" the captain asked.

"I hope not," Efrain put in, "I have a family to get home to."

"So do I," Chase admitted. "It pains me that I might not be home to watch my child grow up."

"Son or daughter?" Efrain asked.

"I don't know," Chase told him. "The baby hasn't been born yet."

"So you won't even be home to hold your child when it is born?"

Chase shook his head, sadly and muttered "Curse you, William T. Spears."

"Is that the name of the leader of the Shinigami?" Efrain asked.

"It is," Chase admitted. "Most of them do have rather bland names when you get right down to it. Still, I suppose it does help them blend in. Except for Grell. He's… well… quite flamboyant."

"Really?" the captain asked, bitterly. "Is he the one that wrecked my ship?"

Chase nodded, reluctantly.

Noticing the reluctance, the captain narrowed his eyes and asked, "Another relative of yours?"

"My father-in-law."

The captain glared at Chase. "That's quite a family you've got there," he grumbled, scowling darkly.

"Look, you two," Efrain pointed out. "This is not the time to quarrel. We have to get to that shoreline. I don't know or care what coast it is. All that matters right now is that it is land and we can't survive much longer on this bit of ragged driftwood. Especially with no food or dry clothing.

"We're going to have cooperate to get to shore," Chase told them. "We need to rip up a couple of boards to use as oars."

"There's barely enough room for us to fit on this thing as it is," the captain stated.

"We can't survive out here forever," Chase countered. "If we don't get to land soon, then one of these days a passing ship is going to find two bleached skeletons and a very hungry half-demon."

The captain shuddered. "You heard the man," he told Efrain. "Let's get those boards up."

The three worked together, the captain and Efrain on one board, while Chase worked on the other. Soon both boards were pulled free.

"Efrain," Chase told his shipmate, "take the left side. I'll take the right. Try to stay at pace with me, I don't want us rowing in circles."

Efrain grabbed his board and waited for Chase to begin.

The captain looked forward, trying to regain at least a stance of command, while his two crewmen rowed the remains of his ship toward the unknown shore.


	8. Chapter 8

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 08-

As he reached home, Sebastian's eyes widened as he saw the front door hanging off its hinges. As he raced inside, he called out…

"Mei-Rin! Bast! Felinity! Answer me! Ciel! Answer me!"

Ciel dragged himself into view from a dark corner. He was tied up, as he had been once before, and blindfolded, but he knew the sound of his butler's voice. "Sebastian. Untie me."

"Where are my family?" Sebastian asked, darkly, as he obeyed his master's orders. "Who did this? Was it a Shinigami? Was it William Spears?"

"Sebastian," Ciel said. "Mei-Rin is…"

"Don't say she's dead," Sebastian said, as a tear ran down his face. "Please, Young Master, I could not bear it."

"Sebastian," Ciel got to his feet, staggering just a little. "I am sorry."

"Who?" Sebastian asked, again. There was great anger in his voice and eyes. He heard a noise and turned to see his oldest daughter standing there, bruised and bloodied, and sporting a black eye. His anger grew at the sight of her.

"Felinity. Who did this to you? Where are your mother and sister?"

"Dead…" Felinity sobbed, dropping to her knees in front of her father as she hid her face in her hands.

Sebastian dropped to his knees and put his hands on her shoulders, drawing her close. He stroked her hair as he leaned down and whispered in her ear. "Who did this?"

"It was someone I've never seen before…" Felinity told her father. "I tried to save mom and sis, but…"

"Describe the person who did this," Sebastian ordered, his voice as dark as it was cold.

"I can't…" Felinity told him. "It wasn't dark… but all I could make out was a silhouette."

"Describe the outline. Smooth like a human being's outline?"

"No," Felinity sobbed. "Demon-like… but not like us. A lot of spikes on its wings, very long fingernails… no claws. It didn't seem to have any hair. At least none that could be made out."

"A Razor," Sebastian said. "The mortal enemy of my true kind. But my grandfather told me the last one died in the Demon War five thousand years ago. How can this one be alive? They're not true demons. Not immortal. Felinity. Did you kill it?"

"No…" Felinity sobbed. "I wanted to. It… it ate…"

Sebastian's eyes widened at his daughter's unfinished sentence.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there," he apologized to her. "This is more my fault than it is yours. I can't tell you where I was, though. Even though you deserve an explanation, I can't tell you just yet. All I ask for now is that you trust me, and forgive me. Now, where is your mother's…?"

Felinity pointed toward the laundry room.

Sebastian walked toward the room, slowly, but with determination. Opening the door, he found his wife's and youngest daughter's lifeless bodies lying face down on the table, Mei-Rin's broken glasses lying on the floor nearby. There was quite a lot of blood beneath them, and Sebastian knew that if he turned either onto her back, he would discover that her heart had been torn out and eaten.

Razors enjoyed the hearts of Sebastian's kind as a delicacy. Sebastian had grown up after the Demon War, when his kind no longer had to fear the Razors. But he remembered his grandfather telling him how dangerous they had been. And now it seemed that some had survived and had come to this world with a new taste for human hearts as well as those of half-demons.

Sebastian wondered if the surviving Razors believed that the Demons had all died out just as his people had believed to be the case with them. And more importantly, how had a Razor found its way to this world?


	9. Chapter 9

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 09-

Sebastian stood by two graves with his surviving daughter, Felinity, and has young master, Ciel. The demon butler had been given permission by Ciel to bury Mei-Rin and Bast near the rear grounds of the manor where his favorite cat had once played. Bast's headstone was simple and read:

BAST MICHAELIS

BELOVED DAUGHTER

Mei-Rin's was a little more complicated, reading:

MEI-RIN MICHAELIS

A MAID SO KIND-HEARTED

EVEN A DEMON LOVED HER

There were tears in Felinity's eyes as she knelt to place a black lily on the grave of her sister. Half-demon she was, and half-human too. And it was both of these sides of her that now grieved. Her little sister had meant worlds to her. The two of them had been close and it hurt Felinity to know that she was no longer be able to watch her little sister grow up.

"Why did that… thing… attack us?" Felinity asked. "And why did it… do that…?"

Sebastian led Felinity back into the house. As they passed Ciel, Sebastian turned to him.

"You'd better come, too, my Lord. This is no longer just a demon matter."

Sebastian led Ciel and his family into the manor's main study room. Once inside, his already somber face took on an even darker expression.

"It was Demon Year 892 when my race first encountered the Razors," the demon butler explained. "I had not been born yet. In this world it was the year 8620 BC. In the time of year which on the modern calendar would've been listed as the month of August, the first Razors were discovered in my home world. At first we took no real notice. We Demons are not without our own natural defenses, and the Demons believed they could handle any problems that arose from a half dozen visitors. When it was learned that they were killing Demons… killing them!… and apparently eating their hearts, the authorities decided that they had been too kind in assuming them intelligent. They were labeled as animals and ways were discussed to lead them back to whatever dimension they'd seemingly lost their way out of.

That discovery took place in September. But later in that same month, they learned that the Razors were indeed intelligent. This discovery came when Doctor Ambrose managed to save the life of a female demon civilian named Miwa who had been attacked by the Razors but rescued before her heart could be removed, something for which I am most grateful. Miwa told him that she had overheard the Razors speaking to each other. She couldn't understand what was being said, but the way the took turns in speaking, and the cadences of their voices as they spoke were enough to tell her that this was intelligent conversation.

Our military forces were put on alert. This turned out to be fortunate because a month later, on what would be October 18 on this calendar, my world was invaded by a Razor army. Their attacks were fierce and spontaneous in style, like the attacks of barbarians. And it took us nearly two months to determine a way to counter their fighting style. But even this wasn't enough. They decided they had to force the Razors back into their own dimension and then destroy it."

"Destroy an entire dimension, father?" Felinity asked. "Did they do it?"

"Until earlier I had always believed so," Sebastian told her.

"How?" Ciel asked.

"It was called the Ransforth Plan after its inventor," Sebastian explained. "The concept was quite simple. Since every dimension has a slightly different harmonic field than its neighbor, that means that each race that is native to that dimension thrives partly on its compatibility with that harmonic field. Find its opposite, and those species will be adversely affected."

"You mean the way a high-pitched note can break glass?" Felinity asked.

"Something like that," Sebastian nodded. "First Lieutenant Ransforth, and two strategists named Aldrich and Ranier…"

"Hold on," Ciel said, skeptically. "You Demons all have English names? I mean besides Miwa."

"Of course not," Sebastian admitted. "However the human form and alphabet do not permit the spelling or proper pronunciation of their true names. The names I've given you are the names that best translate their actual name."

Ciel nodded, satisfied for the moment, and allowed Sebastian to continue.

"Ransforth, Aldrich, and Ranier," Sebastian resumed, "designed a trans-harmonic weapon to use against the Razors. Several were made. It took many tries to discover the resonance they needed to force the Razors back to their own world. Once they had been forced back, the gateway was sealed, but not before General Allard and Sergeant Ransley sent a parcel of harmonic explosives through it. After that, there were no further Razor attacks. So my people went back to living their lives, enjoying all the things that make a Demon's life worth living; work, school, friends, Fireball games, and the occasional contract."

"You said earlier that you were grateful for Miwa's rescue," Ciel recalled. "Why?"

"Miwa was my mother," Sebastian explained. "I was born one year after the war ended. She died when I was born and I was never named until you called me Sebastian Michaelis. Also, First Lieutenant Ransforth was my paternal grandfather."

"Why didn't he name you?" Ciel asked. "Or your father?"

"In the Demon world, unlike this one, the only two people who has the right to name a Demon are the mother and any mortal to make a contract with him or her. If the mother dies, then her child must wait until a mortal names him."

"Are you telling me you were never named, even by mortals, until you met me?"

"Yes, my Lord."


	10. Chapter 10

Black Butler:

"The Family: Michaelis"

(Sequel to "The Maid's Child".)

By Axel Ingleson

-Chapter 10-

Many miles away from the tragedy, Chase Michaelis hauled his two companions onto the shore their makeshift craft had finally landed on only moments before. The others had passed out an hour earlier, and he hoped that they were both still alive. The three would need to work together if they were to survive on an island, which is where he had assumed they had landed, for any length of time.

He pulled them up the beach, one at a time, stopping beside the edge of a forest to prop each man up in a seated position under a large tree. He checked them and determined that they were both still alive, then smiled as he fanned them with his wings to dry them. As he did this, he thought of all the times he'd done so for his little sister when she'd been playing in the rain, not knowing that he would never do so again.

In time, the captain and Efrain were both dry. Their hair looked windblown, and their clothes were rumpled. But at least they would get sick for the moment. Certain that they would sleep for some time, he headed into the forest to find food. Shelter was also important, but that would have to wait until the others had awakened. For now, the important thing was to make sure that there was something for the three of them to eat. Demons and humans could both go without food for a short time with very few ill effects. But humans could not go as long as Demons, and Chase being half human wasn't sure which side he favored in this matter.

He spotted several edible animals as he searched the forest, but decided to forego them until the wood that was available was dry enough to start a fire with. There were edible plants as well, though not many varieties. "Looks like we'll be having plain salad for dinner tonight. Still better than the nothing we've had for the past several hours." He set to gathering the plants, first finding a large piece of bark that he would be able to use as a serving dish.

Feeling a bit run down, he quietly devoured the soul of a passing butterfly, which was the Demon equivalent of taking a vitamin tablet and drinking a cup of coffee. That perked him up a bit and he returned briskly to where he had left his two companions.

Efrain and the captain woke to find Chase placing the bark dish filled with what passed for a very unusual salad.

"So, with your demonic speed and skill you couldn't catch a rabbit, eh?" the captain complained. He wasn't a salad man, and he eyed the vegetation with distasted.

"There are plenty of rabbits," Chase told him, "and catching them will not be a problem for me. However, I assume you prefer them cooked, and they will not keep long once killed. So it will be best to wait until the wood is dry before I do any rabbit hunting."

"No complaining, now," Efrain said, trying to sound cheerful despite the fact that he'd just found out that the man he'd been on his way to becoming best friends with was half Demon. "Chase has gone through all this trouble to get us some food, I think we should be grateful."

"Gratitude towards a Demon is the path to Hell," the captain muttered. He continued to sit under the tree, doing his best to ignore the salad and his hunger, though the constant rumbling of his stomach wasn't helping much with the latter.

"Captain," Efrain called to him. "Aren't you going to eat? I mean, I know it's not meat, but…"

"If I eat that, he'll own my soul," the captain argued. "I'm not selling my soul for a salad."

"A Demon can't devour your soul unless you make a demonic contract with them," Chase pointed out. " And don't forget, I'm only half Demon. Besides, I've already dined on a butterfly. That will hold me for a while."

"You eat the souls of butterflies?" Efrain asked.

"Only on rare occasions," Chase told him. "It's just a little pick-me-up."

"But you won't eat our souls," Efrain asked.

"No," Chase promised. "I doubt I can eat any souls other than those of butterflies. The human side of me couldn't handle it. Besides," he added in a conspiratorial whisper to his friend, "the captain's is probably the equivalent of overly processed beef jerky."

"Too tough and too salty?" Efrain asked with a grin.

"Precisely."

"If you guys are talking about me, it had better be favorably," the captain warned from his place under the tree.

"Come join us for dinner, and you'll be able to hear it," Chase offered. "And don't tell me you're not hungry. I can hear your stomach rumbling from over here."

Finally giving in, the captain muttered something that sounded like "souls for salads" and joined Chase and Efrain for what in his mind was a lousy dinner.


End file.
